If Facebook has taught us anything other than the need to guard our privacy, it has been that we, the people, love to assemble.
Humans love to be with other humans and share experiences. From coffee shops to café stops, to the events where we invite others to join us, it is often because of the ease of communication on these social networking sites that we can gather together.
It's so necessary for us as Americans to guard being able to meet that we even wrote it into our country's Bill of Rights.
And while many of us may find digital platforms like Facebook mimicking the act of creating an organized space, I find, like many social scientists, that it might be best to remind ourselves that networking sites are simply tools we use to communicate. We should never let them replace the reality of face-to-face meetings with our each other.
When we venture off our front porch, we enter and discover the C-word Community. We may even create one that was not there before, just by showing up.
I'm thinking about the vandalism of this past week along Wealthy Street. The assailant(s) might be seeking to drive away business, but in reality, their senseless acts are only making those businesses stronger. People posted comments on social networking pages urging other people to flock to the vandalized businesses to show their support. These calls for solidarity are community-building qualities.
For example, a locally owned (and created) coffee shop is more than just a location to purchase goods; it is also a place where conversations happen. And, from dialogue comes growth, and growth can bring positive changes to a region.
The power of self-organizing arts groups can be seen locally at The Division Avenue Arts Cooperative where creatives and others gather once a month for Sunday Soup. People participate not only to listen to fresh ideas from variety of presenters who contend for a mini-grant, but also to enjoy a hearty bowl of homemade soup provided by one or more of the attendees. After the presentations are made, everyone votes for the idea that will receive the mini-grant derived from the admission fee.
Another group meeting I've attended is Vinecroft, forming in 1999 almost immediately after local arts advocate Fred Bivins retired. He needed a way to stay connected with his community and friends, so he created the connection around food.
Bivins' home cooked meals help him to strengthen his friendships and create new ones between the members who gather at this eclectic setting of art studio meets kitchen.
"A number of people come simply to be with other people," says Bivins. "Some do make it a date of sorts by connecting prior to the evening and planning to meet up with friends they have made at the studio. But for most, it's simply a chance to sit, eat a home-cooked meal, drink a favorite beverage and just be in good company for this moment in time."
One last group that I visited recently is the East Hills Council of Neighbors (EHCN), who have an open invite to anyone in the community to stop by their office at 131 Eastern Ave. SE any Friday morning for coffee.
The day that I stumbled in was the very week that Rapid Growth had hosted our speaker series about community a few days before.
Although I have moved away from East Hills to another part of the city, it was like a homecoming for me as EHCN's community organizer K.C. Caliendo, neighbors Mark and Joleen Rumsey, Funky Buddha Yoga Hothouse's Amber Kilpatrick, preservationist Rebecca Smith-Hoffman and a host of others gathered around the big table sharing stories, mostly about their community.
And just when I thought it was time to leave, after an hour of lively conversations punctuated with plenty of laughter, in walks a fresh batch of faces including Professor Randall Jelks and long-time Cherry Hill neighbor John O'Connor. I poured myself a second cup and settled in for another round of conversation.
So what does all this wandering from group to group mean this week? Not a whole lot, if I had just chosen to live my life solely online.
Sure I would have made plenty of friends whose only contact with me may have been the click of an add button. And, maybe, that is how it will be for many of us in this digital realm.
But I think we crave more as humans.
The city is alive with possibilities. Urban centers provide a diverse array of opportunities for us to organize and find a place to share our voice.
The beauty of all this is that if we do not find those places, we can create them.
If you have not found one, I hope you will soon. If after searching, you still feel alone, then shoot me a note and I will see what I can do.
A woman ran up to me the other day at The Sparrows and said (rather incoherently), "Excuse me, I'm so sorry. I'm not sure really what… But I was thinking, well, I saw you… And I was hoping you could…"
I cut her off.
"Let me guess. You just moved here and you are a lesbian hoping to find a community."
"For two years!" she said.
Don't wait two years.
The Future Needs All of Us (to create community)
Tommy Allen, Lifestyle Editor
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